Week Summary, November 24-30

December 1st, 2009

Before Micheletti ‘stepped back’ on Wednesday as he had announced, he left Honduras with an emergency-decree which allowed the defense minister to purchase whatever material he might consider necessary for national security. This came on top of the ‘security’ measures already taken. Canal 36 closed down because of the constant interruptions in their broadcasting. Radio Globo has been on and off the air. The atmosphere has become tenser every day as Election Day approached.

Special Rapporteurship for freedom of expression expresses its deep concern regarding the situation of freedom of expression in Honduras

Military Shooting Must be Urgently Investigated and Witnesses Protected

Saturday evening soldiers stormed the offices of Red Comal, one of the organizations who are active in the Resistance, and took away computers and information material, causing fortunately only material damage:

Coup Security Forces Raid Campesino Organization Day Before the Elections

At the same time, USA continued to state that they would recognize the elections no matter what. Some time ago, it was ‘free and fair’ elections, that they would recognize, but those small words seem to have been left out. On Wednesday a Brazilian diplomat advised the state department to reconsider:

U.S. Policy on Honduras Puts Latin Ties at Risk, Brazilian Says

Trampling on Honduran democracy

Weary of Political Crisis, Honduras Holds Election

In spite of the warnings of several national and international human rights organizations, the Resistance and Zelaya, that the atmosphere in the country was not adequate for celebrating elections – and in spite of the statements of most of the International Community that they would not recognize the elections, unless the democratic order had been restored before them – Election Day came and passed:

Honduras conservative leads in controversial election

Honduras elects Porfirio Lobo as new president

It is seems to be clear, that Porfirio Lobo from the National Party has won – and that the Liberal Party is completely divided. But even today confusion rules about the level of abstention, which the ‘official’ statements claim was very low, and the Resistance and Zelaya claim was historically high. All the votes have not been counted yet, and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal has apologized for some technical errors in their system that makes it difficult to check the already counted votes. Here are some numbers:

Numbers Dropping

USA congratulated the Honduran people for having celebrated peaceful elections this morning:

State’s Rich Fantasy Life

Briefing on the Honduran Elections

And yes, there was only little bloodshed yesterday – one person reported killed by the army, and little more than 80 people detained. A journalist was beaten by the police as he was documenting a violent repression by the army of a demonstration in San Pedro Sula.

There is an explanation of the ‘peacefulness’, however. The Coordination of the Resistance had suggested a so called ‘popular curfew’, urging people nationwide to stay home on Sunday. They did that to avoid what happened in San Pedro Sula, where members of the Resistance did protest in the streets – peacefully as usual, but then facing the violence of the armed forces.

Here is a message to the US-government from an organization that was in Honduras to document the conditions, as they say:

National Lawyers Guild Calls for the US to Disavow the Legitimacy of Elections in Honduras

While Honduras was going through the electoral farce, representatives from most Latin American countries met at an Ibero-American Summit in Portugal, where they among other things discussed their position on Honduras and the elections. Consensus about the subject will not be possible to reach, but it has been an occasion for the different countries to make clear their opinion. Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Colombia are clear – they join the USA in recognizing the new government. Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Chile are also clear – they will not recognize any new government, as long as the coup stands. They are too aware of the precedent which is being made for the region:

Differences on Honduras election divide Ibero-American Summit

Scheduled for this week are two important meetings. The first is on Wednesday – the meeting of Congress to vote about the restitution of Zelaya (who sustains that he will not accept restitution only to legalize the coup). The second is on Friday, where the OAS will have another extraordinary meeting about Honduras.

Here are a few pictures of the militarized elections in Honduras: Represión en Elecciones

Today the Resistance has been celebrating what they consider their victory – the high level of abstention. They continue advocating for a constituent assembly and urge the international community not to recognize the result of the elections.

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